A conventional particle microscope comprises a particle beam source for generating a primary particle beam and an electron detector. The particle microscope can be an electron microscope having an electron beam source as its particle source, and the particle microscope can be an ion microscope having an ion source as its particle source. Some conventional electron microscopes include an X-ray detector for detecting X-rays generated by the primary electron beam at an inspected object. An energy spectrum of such X-rays may comprise characteristic lines indicative of elements included in the object. An analysis of the X-rays may comprise an analysis with respect to energy of detected X-rays. One example of such analysis is an analysis commonly referred to as Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX).
A conventional electron microscope including an X-ray detector is known from US 2006/0138325 A1. The X-ray detector of this microscope receives X-rays originating from an object and generated at the object by a primary electron beam focused onto the object. Since the primary electron beam also generates secondary electrons, which should not be detected by the X-ray detector, the X-ray detector comprises an electron trap to prevent secondary electrons from generating detection signals in the X-ray detectors. Such detection signals generated by secondary electrons could be erroneously interpreted as X-ray signals in a subsequent analysis. The electron trap may comprise a magnetic electron trap.
A detection efficiency for X-rays has been perceived as being too low in conventional electron microscopes including an X-ray detector. This perceived lack of efficiency applies in particular in a situation where the primary electron beam has a low energy.